It can make sense for prospective home buyers to want or need a co-borrower on their VA loan. Utilizing another person’s income, credit score and debt level might do wonders for your ability to qualify for a loan. If your credit is what’s holding you back, the Veterans United Lighthouse Program is a great free resource. But before you make the decision, make sure you understand how co-borrowing with a VA loan … Full Article

Married military couples have some choices when it comes to using their VA home loan benefits.
Eligible spouses can decide to use all of one spouse’s entitlement for a VA loan, split their entitlement evenly for a VA home loan, or have one spouse use remaining entitlement from a previous VA home loan with the other spouse providing the rest for the new mortgage. Entitlement is basically the dollar amount the… Full Article

For most, homeownership starts with a dream.
For scores of veterans and active duty military personnel – the men and women who put America first – it starts and ends with a VA loan.
These flexible, government-backed loans have helped more than 18 million service members become homeowners since World War II. VA loans feature no down payment and no private mortgage insurance and allow qualified borrowers to p… Full Article

VA entitlement is a financial guaranty from the government, which pledges to repay a portion of your home mortgage in the event of default.
Your VA entitlement is a specific dollar amount. Veterans and service members using the VA loan benefit for the first time have their full VA loan entitlement available, which allows qualified buyers in most of the country to borrow up to $453,100 before having to make a down … Full Article

This post was inspired by VA Loans Insider reader Mary Ann Parker, who asked about securing VA financing with less than perfect credit. In fact, one of the most common questions we receive is: Can I get a VA loan with bad credit?
The answer isn't black-and-white, in part because there's no clear-cut definition of what "bad credit" actually means. For VA loans, borrowers will often need a FICO credit score of at le… Full Article

Documenting your proof of service is an important step in the VA mortgage process.
As with most military benefits, the nature of your discharge can affect your eligibility for a VA home loan. This isn’t an issue for most veterans. But in certain cases, you may need a more formal review before moving forward.
Let’s take a closer look.
Types of Discharges
You're generally eligible for VA loan benefits if y… Full Article

VA borrowers are expected to live in the properties they purchase.
Sounds like a novel concept, right? But the issue of occupancy is important, not to mention often confusing, especially for first-time home buyers.
These flexible, government-backed homes can’t be used to purchase investment properties or vacation homes, but the VA loan advantages are staggering. VA loans are for primary residences,… Full Article

Even if you're positive you meet the VA loan eligibility requirements, there's only one way to be certain you have access to VA home loan benefits: Obtain your Certificate of Eligibility.
This is where the VA separates belief from reality.
The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is an official document that basically attests to your right to participate in the VA Loan Guaranty program. There are multiple ways … Full Article

When it comes to buying a home, you have your list of requirements: number of bedrooms, full basement, stainless steel appliances and probably scores of others.
The VA also has a list of requirements for a home. But its list is centered on protecting the buyer against unexpected, and usually expensive, surprises.
The Department of Veterans Affairs utilizes a series of Minimum Property Requirements, or MPRs, tha… Full Article

It comes as a surprise to some, but one of the myriad benefits of VA loans is that qualified veterans with non-VA home mortgages can refinance into a VA loan and reap the program's benefits.
The VA Cash-Out refinance is the only way to make it happen.
Conventional to Cash-Out
The Cash-Out refinance is one of the VA's two refinance options. The other, the VA Streamline, is an interest rate reduction loan that… Full Article

Chris Birk is the author of "The Book on VA Loans: An Essential Guide to Maximizing Your Home
Loan Benefits" and executive editor of Veterans United Home Loans. His analysis and commentaries
have appeared in The New York Times, ABC News, Fox Business, the Huffington Post, Military.com
and more. Nearly 330,000 people follow VA Loans Insider, his interactive VA loan community on
Facebook.

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